When it comes to expectations on a video game few compare to the anticipation of Mass Effect 3. The Mass Effect series is now revered among gamers with a place in history and a large dedicated fan base. Now with Mass Effect 3 comes the final conclusion– does it live up to the hype?

Going toe-to-toe with the biggest FPS franchise in history is no small feat, but EA have certainly brought it big time with Battlefield 3. Exploding into the holiday season right alongside direct competition, this is the best time of the year for FPS fans. Sticking true to the series’ formula Battlefield 3 is bringing back huge scale online open warfare as players do battle on foot, in tanks, vehicles, jets and choppers with a big array weaponry all across large new maps.

Space is a pretty scary place. There’s no oxygen, not much light, and it seems every time we make progress in exploring the deeper voids we uncover a brutal alien civilization destined to make harvest of the human race. This is Isaac Clarke’s peril, or, it was in the original Dead Space. Now things have gotten a little more severe.

Three years after the original events on board the spaceship Ishimura, Isaac finds himself struggling to overcome crippling dementia as a result of his original terrifying encounter with Read more [+]

Just now at Playstation Meeting 2011 held in Tokyo, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Kaz Hirai announced their “Next Generation Portable”, a successor handheld to the Playstation Portable.

Details are still coming out as the press meeting is underway but already confirmed are the much desired inclusion of two analogue sticks. A trailer played showing off many titles followed by an on-stage live demo of a portable Uncharted.

They’ll hear me screaming from my lounge room though when Dead Space 2 is released this month. The first Dead Space scared the hell out of me with a well produced atmosphere presenting a creepy deep space action horror game filled with spooky sound, grotesque visuals and twisted aliens.

A new launch trailer has just hit in anticipation for the sequels release on 25/01/11, highlighting some of the action set pieces in store for Isaac Clarke’s descent back into a new nightmare of necromorphs. Oh and there’s multiplayer this time around too!

Any adult gamer that likes to get their drink on should have checked out the Mana Bar by now, with all the press and positive reception going on it’s hard not to hear about the nightlife bar taking over Brisbane’s Valley district with geeks getting into video games and custom themed drinks.

Well with all the raging success the venue’s team have announced that Mana Bar will be opening new locations in Melbourne, Sydney and internationally with local venues opening before the end of the year.

A demo for 2K Czech’s upcoming open-world shooter Mafia II is now available on PS3, XBOX 360 and PC via the Steam network. Sequel to the 2002 hit Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven, this new sequel will recapture the spirit of Mafia in the 40’s and 50’s in a whole new story and city. The new location Empire Bay will hold over ten square miles of city to travel being entirely open from the start. A 2K press release let’s us know what’s in the demo –

While the game spans two eras, the Mafia II demo invites gamers to dive into the “Buzzsaw” level, which takes place during the summer of the ‘50s – a time considered the “Birth of Cool”, and with it, rock ‘n’ roll, hot rods, and rebellious attitudes. Read more [+]

The next installment in the Call of Duty series Black Ops is coming from developers Treyarch again and they’ve just released a first look at what multiplayer will be like. Some interesting new weapons and tools can be seen in this trailer such as a remote controlled explosive toy car and back-stabbing knives that while fun certainly don’t look to restore any remaining semblances of balance and structure in the game. You hardcore dedicated fans can wait until the end to see a sneak at the ability to record, edit and upload video replays.

It all looks nice but still a little similar to the previous titles for this gamer who has purchase the last two Call of Duty games; I’m intrigued but not quite sold.